Hot & Hungry

Summer is smokin’ hot in Texas. We have our rituals for keeping cool that usually involve water, frozen margaritas and air conditioning. But most days when I’m driving home, I see people standing on the corner, in the blazing heat, asking for some help in hard times.

Sitting at the traffic light in the cool comfort of my car, I wonder how I can help the person on the corner. I hesitate to give them cash. I don’t like ignoring them. Rolling down my window and telling them to contact the local United Way doesn’t seem like a bright idea either.

Then I discovered Bags of Grace. A Bag of Grace is simply a one-gallon ziploc plastic bag filled with non-perishable food items and other basics I often take for granted. I know it won’t solve homelessness but it is a tangible way I can make a small difference.

Want to try it? Here are some suggested items for the bag:

1 – 16.9 oz bottle of drinking water
1 – 5 oz can of Vienna Sausages
1 – 4 oz can of fruit
1 – 7.5 oz Chef Boy R Dee meal
2 – 6 count cheese and peanut butter crackers
2 – .5 oz meat snack sticks (Jerky)
1 – pocket size packet of tissues
1 – pack of Juicy Fruit gum
2 – individually wrapped hand-santizing wipes
1 – restaurant pack of eating utensils with a napkin
Card w/ information on how to contact the local United Way for assistance

How do you handle this type of situation?

4 comments

  1. When I was working in Calcutta, I was going into a local cafe for some breakfast when a small beggar boy in rags, maybe about 8 years old, touched my arm and mimed “food”.

    Mindful of what I’d heard about giving money to the local kids (cos they’re run by the mafia), I surprised him and the waiter by taking his hand and sitting him down at my table. The waiter thought the kid was hassling me and tried to shoo him out, but I indicated that it was fine and shocked the kid even more by making him wash his hands before he ate.

    I ordered my breakfast and got him a bowl of daal and 6 chapatis and we sat and ate together silently, as he had no English and I had no Bengali.

    He chomped his way through three chapatis and half the daal, stood up, pointedly washed his hands, elaborately namaste-d me, and asked the waiter for a paper bag into which he decanted the remainder of the food.

    I watched as he left the restaurant and went behind a large pile of decomposing garbage, from which he extricated a small, snotty-nosed female version of himself – presumably his sister, aged around 4 or 5, I guess. He then proceeded to sit on the pile of rubbish and gently feed her the bag of food.

    Best breakfast I ever ate. I’m sure I’ve got a photo; I’ll dig it out and post it one of these days.

  2. Bruce, thanks for sharing this experience. I’d love to see the photo, but even without it, you painted a very vivid word picture.

    I was just thinking about other ways to help…and was reminded of a United Way effort called 211. Here in the US, they are atempting to create a consistent phone number (211) that is easy to remember and free to call. 211 puts you in touch with someone who can help you find support from Human Services. My state has put 211 in place. I hope soon to see 211 available across all states.

  3. This sounds like a great idea Glenda. I usually see a lot of people along Parmer, and I’d like to help more too.

    I’ve handed out money, McDonalds, HEB gift cards, and lately, coupons for a free burrito at Freebirds (near Freebirds). Strangely, water bottles never occurred to me.

  4. Anyone interested in learning more about Bags of Grace can visit our website @ http://www.BagsOfGrace.org It’s wonderful that you are spreading not only a little hope to a homeless person on a hot Texas day, but also sharing the information regarding the contents of the Bags of Grace. One thing folks may consider is keeping the water bottles in a small cooler along with some ice. Otherwise, as hot as it gets here we may as well include a tea bag along with the water. :o)
    We have several assembly parties during the year when we assemble hundreds of the Bags we take to “Church Under the Bridge” here in Austin. Let me know if you’d like to take part! Thanks again for passing the word along. And thanks for having such a compassionate heart!

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